The subject matter herein relates generally to connector assemblies, and more particularly, to connector assemblies having electrical compensation components.
With the ongoing trend toward smaller, faster, and higher performance electrical components such as processors used in computers, routers, switches, etc., it has become increasingly desirable for the electrical interfaces along the electrical paths to also operate at higher frequencies and at higher densities with increased throughput. For example, performance demands for video, voice and data drive input and output speeds of connectors within such systems to increasingly faster levels.
Electrical connectors typically are arranged to be connected to complementary connector halves to form connector pairs. One application environment that uses such electrical connectors is in high speed, differential electrical connectors, such as those common in the telecommunications or computing environments. In a traditional approach, two circuit boards are interconnected with one another in a backplane and a daughter board configuration. However, similar types of connectors are also being used in cable connector to board connector applications. However, such electrical connectors are not without problems. For instance, as the throughput speed of such electrical connectors increases, the electrical connectors are more susceptible to performance degradation. Compensation for signal degradation is provided on the backplane or daughtercard boards being connected. Such solutions have heretofore proven difficult. For example, the compensation may be provided relatively far from the source of degradation, which is typically at the interface between the electrical connectors.
At least some known electrical connectors include compensation components embedded therein. For example, the electrical connector described by Kenny et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,781 describes one such solution incorporating passive circuit elements soldered directly onto signal conductors of the electrical connector. However, such electrical connectors have reliability problems. For example, the solder joint between the passive circuit element and the signal conductors is subject to damage during the life of the connector, such as from loading, shock, thermal mismatch between the copper signal conductors and the mounting contacts of the passive circuit elements, and the like.
A need remains for an electrical connector that overcomes at least some of the existing problems of signal degradation in a cost effective and reliable manner. A need remains for an electrical connector that overcomes at least some of the existing reliability problems with known solutions.